Keller's Take
KELLER: 10 Reasons I like Brock Lesnar more after reading his autobiography
Jun 2, 2011 - 8:06:21 PM KELLER: 10 Reasons I like Brock Lesnar more after reading his autobiography

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By Wade Keller, MMATorch Supervising Editor

In the MMA world, Brock Lesnar has had several stigmas to overcome, mainly that he came from the athletic performance world of pro wrestling, but also that he got a title shot so soon and he's not the least bit interested in charming anyone into liking him.

Having covered his career in WWE in addition to his UFC career, going back to his being introduced to the crowd in Minneapolis at Target Center when he sat next to me at a WWE show right after he signed his developmental deal, I had a pretty good idea what made him tick. I've heard some stories about him from a few common friends and acquaintances over the years, some of which certainly didn't make him seem like he'd be my favorite person.

When I reported stories from behind the scenes in WWE and then Vince McMahon held meetings with wrestlers trying to stop the leaks, Lesnar was volunteering to kick the ass of anyone who he found out was leaking information.

That said, my interactions with him directly and observations of him at and after UFC press conferences left a good impression. I found him approachable at the media press conference after he beat Heath Herring in Minneapolis. Of course he was in a good mood for good reason, but still, he hardly came across as a grumpy, unstable, dumb jock jerk as is his caricature in some MMA circles.

So I entered reading his autobiography with an open mind and for the most part, I came away liking him a more than I expected. Here are a few reasons why.

1 - HE WASN'T A HYPOCRITE ABOUT PERSONAL PRIVACY:

Sure, we'd all have devoured more behind the scenes dirt on Dana White or Vince McMahon, or enjoyed hearing more stories about the lifestyle of WWE and UFC colleagues during their travels, but for someone who guards his privacy, he's wasn't dishing the dirt on other people while also preaching about how his life is private.

2 - HE WAS BLUNT AND UNAPOLOGETIC WHEN CALLED FOR, BUT HUMBLE AND REASONABLE WHEN ADMITTING MISTAKES

Brock was clear that he doesn't believe he owes fans anything outside of the fighting environment. That's his prerogative. If he's willing to leave the money on the table from losing endorsement deals or autograph sessions, he should have a right to clock in, promote a fight, fight the fight, attend the post-fight press conference, and clock out - and be left alone otherwise. Fortunately for UFC, there are plenty of fighters who embrace the marketing and fan interaction aspects of the sport, so if some prefer to distance themselves from that, it's not a big deal.

Brock also detested the pro wrestling tradition of shaking everyone's hand in the locker room when you arrive at the arena. He didn't hold back in expressing how stupid and unnecessary he found it. There are pro wrestlers who will scoff at Lesnar's resentment of a tradition that has roots going back decades and has served a purpose over the years. He partook in the tradition, but also had no problem at this point making it clear why he disliked doing it.

He also didn't hold back when explaining that touching the gloves of an opponent before a fight isn't something that's a rule or regulation, and if he doesn't like or respect his opponent, he's not going to be a phony and pretend otherwise. This is part of why he's not embraced in the MMA community, as there are many traditions in martial arts that include expressing respect for your dojo (bowing before you enter) and your opponent (shaking hands before and after a fight). Lesnar, though, didn't apologize. From his perspective, he's there to fight to earn money for his family. I respect that he didn't sugar-coat his feelings. I disagree with his decision to not respect that he's going to war with a fellow warrior by partaking in that tradition, but I respect that he at least stands up for his belief. In the end, MMA is a mix of many disciplines, it's not required, and where Brock came from, it was counter-productive to his attitude going into a fight, so fair enough.

But Brock was willing to admit - after describing the circumstance that led to his behavior - that he was out of line in his public comments about Bud Light in the Octagon. He admitted it was stupid to drive his motorcycle and crash it while he was attempting to make it in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, tearing apart his groin and ending any hope he had of a pro football career.

3 - HE WASN'T SHY ABOUT BEING IN LOVE

Although he brushed right past the actual marriage ceremony to Rena, we got some nice detailers earlier about his proposal, which was one of the better stories in the book. In short, after she wouldn't return his calls, he flew to Florida, broke into her house (he knew the security code) and called her from her own phone. He talked glowingly about his wife and how much she means to him. Granted, a lot of celebrities know that's the smart thing to do when writing books, but I sensed he meant it.

4 - HE WAS THE LAST TO GO THROUGH PUBERTY

Last week on WWE Smackdown, Christian (Jay Reso) said he was the last to go through puberty in his high school, and Lesnar admitted he didn't even have armpit hair until he was a senior. For "The Baddest Man on the Planet," it was a story that humanized him as not always being the big (hairy) bully who picked on kids smaller than him (although I wouldn't rule out he did his fair share of that, but none that he admitted in the book). He had his own insecurities to deal with, and that made him seem more human and even vulnerable. Not every celebrity in his position in a macho sport would expose his vulnerabilities as much as he did in this book, especially someone who so greatly values his privacy.

5 - HE EXPOSED THE INEXCUSABLE SCHEDULE VINCE MCMAHON ASKS OF HIS WRESTLERS

The strength of the book, and perhaps the pages that could make the most difference, was how he detailed his unfamily-friendly, unhealthy, destructive schedule WWE needlessly asks of its wrestlers. The myth that "WWE wrestlers can just ask for time off" and get it without consequences was shattered once again. For every anecdote of a wrestler asking and getting time off, I hear another story of a wrestler asking and not getting it or feeling implied peer-pressure not to. The grind of the WWE schedule was exposed as much here by Lesnar as anyone ever before.

Lesnar's stories about what McMahon asks of wrestlers, and how he responds to anyone questioning the way things are done, really stuck with me. McMahon's patronizing "you're tougher than that" response to Lesnar needing a break from the grind really stood out.

6 - HE EXPOSED THE MYTH OF VINCE MCMAHON AS HAVING A CLUE WHAT BEING FAMILY-FRIENDLY MEANS

The scene Lesnar painted of his first meeting with McMahon, Jim Ross, and John Laurenaitis reminded me of "The Firm" by John Grisham. They just end up owning you and smothering any sense of identity you have outside of WWE. I Tweeted this last night when I was reading the book (@keller_wade) - every WWE rookie should read the chapters on Lesnar's WWE experience (and every year thereafter as a reminder) so they can see through the polished head games and manipulation techniques that McMahon & Co. have honed and mastered over the years.

WWE does a lot of things that are good for current and former talent (often too late, only when facing media or government pressure, or when there's a clear p.r. benefit), such as offering alum drug rehab if needed. The biggest thing they're not doing that they should is drastically reducing the demands on talent by offering them roster-wide, systematic extended time off 2-3 times a year of at least three weeks each time. This book made as good of a case for that as I've heard, and if WWE did that, they'd probably have a still-young mega-talented Brock Lesnar as one of their top stars, and fewer wrestlers flirting with death by doing their version of the Vicodin washed down with Vodka that Lesnar wrote about as his frequent concoction-of-choice to get him through the schedule and the injuries.

As much as Lesnar didn't love the pro wrestling lifestyle, he just needed some time off to clear his head and be with his family. If McMahon had budged more on that, he'd have not just Lesnar as a big star on his roster today, but also a healthier overall roster, wrestlers with stronger marriages, kids who know their WWE parents much better, and a true reason to be proud of his company. (And fewer p.r. nightmares that come from deaths of his current and former wrestlers.)

7 - HIS DEDICATION TO HIS KIDS

So many of his decisions were based not on shallow reasons like being on a magazine cover, getting adulation from strangers at autograph shows he'll never seen again, or making TMZ headlines. His career decisions so often were based more on what would give him the most time with his kids and give them the financial security to live their best lives in the future. Sure, he trained for fights while his wife was late in her pregnancy twice, but he cared enough to be bothered by that and knew it was a price he regrettably had to pay given the realities of his MMA career. And in UFC, unlike WWE, you don't begin work again the day after a big fight. You get that release and that time to be with family and unwind. As he pointed out, WWE wrestlers work WrestleMania on a Sunday, then TV tapings the next day or two, and often end up on an overseas tour shortly thereafter.

8 - HE STOOD UP TO BIG SHOW IN WWE'S DEVELOPMENTAL CAMP

When Big Show gained too much weight and was sent to the minors by WWE, he showed up with a bad attitude. Lesnar wouldn't put up with his attitude and stood up for what he thought was right. He put Show in his place. He also made it clear that while Show was grumpy and had a bad attitude back then, he later learned he was one of the nicer, better all-around guys he worked with in WWE.

9 - HE EXPECTED HONESTY AND LOYALTY

When he felt Kurt Angle violated his trust and told Vince McMahon that he was thinking of getting out of WWE, he decided Angle couldn't be trusted. The way the story was told in the book, there was a little irony since Lesnar said he looked at the recent calls list on Angle's phone when he wasn't around when he realized his last call was to McMahon (thus, perhaps, violating Angle's trust by snooping). The evidence was also quite circumstantial, as presented in the book, but I suspect overall he had more to go by in his suspicion than he let on in the book. In general, though, Lesnar rewarded honesty and loyalty. I know, I know, most autobiographies are full of page after page of people admitting they're dishonest and disloyal, but still, I think the examples provided by Lesnar - and my familiarity with the players and circumstances - back up what he wrote.

10 - HE DIDN'T TOLERATE HEAD GAMES PEOPLE IN POWER PLAYED

Whether it was Vince McMahon or Antonio Inoki or other shady promoters he dealt with, he did his best to plow through the needless psychological games people in power tried to play with him. Not everyone is willing to risk as much as he did to stand up to those who controlled his career.

When he lost his trust in McMahon, he decided he was done with him. When he was broke and out of options due to the non-compete clause, he did try to go back to WWE, but ultimately he held his ground on not returning for less money and no schedule concessions. He would have been satisfied being a farmer out of the spotlight just spending time with his family and never being rich or famous rather than return to WWE, swallow his pride, and end up rich, famous, and a broken man who missed out on the raising of his kids. I know too many pro wrestlers who regret the choices they made in their 20s regarding their families by the time they reach their 40s, having dedicated themselves to pro wrestling at the expense of being a husband and a father. Lesnar is to be admired because when millions of dollars and incredible fame was there for the taking, he chose principle and family first.

"Death Clutch" wasn't a perfect book. It wasn't a feast of insight and details. At just 210 pages, you can get through it pretty quickly. It didn't dish at all on his current boss Dana White. But I think reading the book, you do get a chance to get to know what makes him tick, and that which he chose to reveal about himself largely painted him as someone with his priorities in the right place and a drive to be a leader and the best at what he does, but without compromising his principles.